Posted in Science!, tagged science, fun facts, astronomy, #365Ways, #365Ways2026, all in this together on July 8, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Another fun astronomy fact today (and for many other days!).
99% of people on Earth will get sunlight at the same time this Wednesday
On July 8, at about 11:10 GMT, about 99 percent of the world experiences sunlight at the same time.
That is pretty cool!
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Posted in Science!, tagged science, Earth, astronomy, #365Ways, sun, aphelion, #365Ways2026 on July 7, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Apologies for being ever so slightly behind the times on this, but we just (as in yesterday!) experienced aphelion. That’s right, on June July* 6th at 1:30pm EDT, the Earth and all of its inhabitants (that’s us!) were 152,087,775 kilometers or 94,502,962 miles away from our favorite life-giving ball of fire.
The Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical path, which means that there is one point on the path closest to the Sun and one point that is farthest away from the Sun.
And in case you were wondering: Aphelion: Earth is as far away from the sun as it ever gets. So why is it so hot?
(* edited because it’s July now, somehow; catch up, brain! And on a related “really far away from the Sun” note, we just watched Project Hail Mary and thoroughly enjoyed it:)
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Posted in Food and..., Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, food stuff, inspiration, moon stuff, summer on June 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Tonight’s full moon is the first of the summer, and is also known for marking that sweetest of seasons, strawberry harvest time.
Strawberry moon: How to see the 1st full moon of summer
The moon will not actually appear dark red like a strawberry, but it may take on a slight orange or reddish tint when it first appears above the horizon. That color shift is caused by light scattering through Earth’s atmosphere, similar to the way some sunsets appear more vivid than others.
The farm down the road has pint baskets overflowing with red berries, and later I’m going to make a red and white dessert for Canada Day.
As the moon watches from on high.
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Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, Father's Day, solstice, summer, Thoughts on June 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Happy Father’s Day, fathers! And happy June Solstice, everyone!
The sun is at its northernmost position today, hovering over the Tropic of Cancer like a thrown ball at its apex. It’s the longest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere and is commonly treated as the first day of summer. As a child, my father painstakingly laid out the night sky with glow-in-the-dark stars on his bedroom ceiling. He passed that curiosity and joy in the world’s magic on to us.
Here’s to happy summer days and family.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day on June 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »
This week, Venus and Jupiter are in planetary conjunction, and unlike some astronomical events this one should be easy to see.
To see Venus and Jupiter together this month, you won’t need binoculars or even a telescope. Just look up after sunset and you’ll find them emerging as the sky grows dark near the western horizon.
Venus-Jupiter conjunction: Sky’s 2 brightest planets meet (includes a helpful video for orientation)
Venus and Jupiter – the sky’s 2 brightest planets – are shining together in the west after sunset. They were closest on June 8 and 9. But June overall offers your best opportunity to see them together.
Even more photos to pique your interest:
Jupiter and Venus dazzle in planetary conjunction photos. Here are our favorites | Space
Enjoy the dance!
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, micromoon, moon, science, Thoughts on May 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »
If you missed yesterday’s blue moon, don’t worry, it will still look full tonight too. And as I should also have mentioned, it’s a micromoon (the opposite of a supermoon). The moon is at apogee, or as far from us as it can get. Right now, that’s about 251,000 miles away.
Here’s a NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day showing the difference between a supermoon and a micromoon. It’s not nothing!
If you have a chance to see the (almost) full moon tonight, count yourself lucky. The next blue micromoon won’t happen until 2053.
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, moon stuff, space on May 29, 2026| 1 Comment »
Tomorrow night is the second full moon of May, which makes it a blue moon. They are rare but not very, as they happen every two or three years. The next one won’t happen until December 2028.
And this month, there’s a bonus!
Blue Moon, 4 planets to shine during the final weekend of May
People who step outside at the end of the month to catch a glimpse of the rare lunar event should also be able to spot Venus and Jupiter in the western sky about an hour after sunset. Meanwhile, early risers should be able to see Mars and Saturn in the eastern sky about an hour before daybreak.
I wanted to let you know a day ahead of time in case you, like me, like to have these things on your calendar!
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, look up!, NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, science, Thoughts on April 19, 2026| Leave a Comment »
NASA reminded me that we have a new, if transitory, neighbor in the skies overhead. The comet PanSTARRS is making a quick visit and tonight is the closest it will come to the sun.
APOD- 2026 April 18 – PanSTARRS and Planets
This is a good weekend for northern hemisphere comet watchers to try to catch PanSTARRS an hour or so before sunrise, as the comet grows brighter approaching its perihelion on April 19. On April 26 the comet makes its closest approach to our fair planet but by then will be difficult to see in the solar glare. Good views of this comet PanSTARRS in late April and early May will be from the southern hemisphere.
If your skies are clear and dark, check it out!
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Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, NASA, puzzle, Spring, vernal equinox on March 20, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Happy Spring Equinox, everyone! (I say with some amusement, as a plow removes the latest storm’s worth of snow out front!)
This is a great image of the celestial equator, from NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. (And just for fun, here it is as an online jigsaw puzzle🙂
And here’s a quick article and video with the essentials on the vernal equinox: March equinox 2026: Here’s all you need to know
The March equinox – aka the vernal equinox – marks the sun’s crossing above Earth’s equator, moving from south to north. Earth’s tilt on its axis is what causes this northward shift of the sun’s path across our sky at this time of year. Earth’s tilt is now bringing spring and summer to the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the March equinox marks the beginning of autumn – and a shift toward winter – in the Southern Hemisphere.
I did spot a lovely V of Canada Geese a couple of days ago, and hopefully we’ll see more signs of spring soon!
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Posted in Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, astronomy, lunar eclipse on March 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Tomorrow morning very early, the last full moon of the winter season will coincide with a total lunar eclipse. When? Check the links below for precise times, but as an example, maximum eclipse in Ottawa will be at 6:33am ET.
The result? A blood moon.
We’ve talked about this phenomenon before, but this will be the last one for a couple of years.
Check here for timing and more info on the eclipse and how to view it: Total Lunar Eclipse on March 2–3, 2026 – Where and When to See
Visible from Asia, Australia, and North America, this is the last total lunar eclipse until the December 31, 2028–January 1, 2029 New Year’s Blood Moon Eclipse.
If your view is obstructed you can watch this livestream from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
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